Youssef El Deeb
Founder
Historia Pictures

A Canadian Not-for-Profit corporation aiming to produce
‘Family entertainment that sparks curiosity and enriches minds’.
…….

Youssef El Deeb, born in 1954, is a prominent Egyptian-Canadian filmmaker and media executive known for his extensive and diverse career in film, television, and content creation.

He studied Fine Arts at the University of Victoria and honed his skills in Film at Ryerson University. El Deeb began his professional career as an Assistant Sound Editor on the documentary "The Amateur Naturalist," collaborating closely with the renowned naturalist Gerald Durrell. Throughout the vibrant 1980s and 90s, he established a prolific presence in the advertising industry, writing and directing over 150 television commercials for major global brands.

He then served as the Head of Production and Programming and later as Head of Channel at MBC from 2002 to 2005, contributing significantly to the network's content strategy.

He then founded Takhayal Entertainment and the popular food channel Fatafeat TV, which featured his famous slogan الحياة حلوة, a channel that was later acquired by Discovery Communications.

Notable film projects in his portfolio include:

1. Produced "Al Abaa' Al Sighar" - This significant Arabic feature film starred acclaimed actors Duraid Lahham and Hanan Tork and is particularly noted for being the first family entertainment film produced in the Arab world in 25 years, marking a revival in the genre.

2. Produced "Uss Wa Lazk" - This film won the Best Film Award at the prestigious 2006 Cairo International Film Festival, highlighting El Deeb’s talent in creating compelling narratives.

3. Wrote and directed "Love's Improvisations" (Takaseem El Hob) - An experimental Arabic feature film that premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival in 2012 and subsequently showcased at renowned film festivals in St. Tropez, Madrid, and London.

In addition to his film work he is the founder of Picture Pond Media, a Dubai-based company dedicated to film and TV content creation, as well as Maison Deeb, an innovative online art gallery showcasing diverse artistic expressions by himself and others

Read more about me on Wikipedia.